Bicycle Cafes: Adventure is Brewing

What is it about coffee and bicycles that makes them go so nicely together? I’m not sure who first came up with the idea of a bicycle cafe, but coffee being served in bike shops dates back to quite a long time ago. The first official bicycle cafe that I heard of was “Look Mum No Hands” which is located in London, England. I’ve never been, but it totally looks like a place I need to visit one day.

So what makes a coffee shop a bicycle cafe? Well, I figure it all comes down to a business that loves coffee and bikes and does what they can to combine them together. Some bicycle cafe’s sell bikes and coffee, while others simply have a bicycle theme. Look Mum No Hands is a bicycle themed cafe that plays cycling videos on their big screen, offers bicycle repairs, and serves a lot of coffee and beer.

OTB Bicycle Cafe is located in Pittsburgh, PA and are all about “Bikes, Beer, and Bloody Good Food”. I had to include them in this bicycle cafe write up because the owner just happens to have the same last name as me….but as far as I know we’re not related. We share a pretty unique last name so I thought it was pretty cool that we both dig bikes and own a bike cafe. OTB seems to be a little more focused on beer and food than a traditional coffee and pastry cafe, but one things for sure….they are totally bike crazy.

The Musette Caffe got its name from the shoulder bag given to riders during a cycling race which contains food and drink. So with a name like that, it’s easy to tell they have cycling on the brain. This bicycle cafe is located in Vancouver, BC and apparently my fellow Canadians like to add an extra f to cafe. Musette seems like a pretty cool place and although they call themselves a bicycle cafe….they really cater to each and everyone who enjoys life on and off the bike.

I think it’s safe to say that all bicycle cafe’s are not only meant for people who love bicycles. They are a place where everyone is welcome, and if the customers aren’t bicycle lovers when they walk in…hopefully they will be by the time they walk out.

It’s this stereotype of a bicycle cafe that has given me the most concern during my process of setting up Mocha Spoke in Grenada. I want so badly to call ourselves a bicycle cafe, but worry that non-cyclists will feel that it’s not the place for them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mocha Spoke is a cafe that is passionate about cycling, but is a place where people with all interests can feel at home.

So yeah…we’re a bicycle cafe, and as far as I know we’re the first and only bicycle cafe in the Caribbean. I wonder how long it will take for more to pop up here in the islands?

I’ve mentioned a few things about Mocha Spoke over the past months, and please forgive me if I’m going overboard with posts focused on my new venture. It’s just that I’m so excited about this and can’t hold back my enthusiasm.

As of today, we’re officially in business as a bicycle rental and tour company….but the cafe end of things is still coming. We hope to have the cafe open by mid February, and you’re all welcome to drop in any time. We’ll have some amazing hot and cold beverages for you, as well as the finest food the island has to offer. If you don’t bring your bike along with you, we’ll set you up on a 2013 Jamis Trail X2 bike and supply everything you’ll need to tear up the roads of Grenada. We also do repairs and have a whole bunch of cool Mocha Spoke merchandise to fill up your suitcase.

Oh, and thanks to Julie Starling and @shinyredthings for coming up with the tagline we’re now using for Mocha Spoke. We wanted to use something that showed we were a bicycle cafe, yet also catering to everyone. Their submission of “Adventure is Brewing” seemed to fit quite well and we’re happy to have it as our slogan.

12 Responses to “ Bicycle Cafes: Adventure is Brewing ”

bruckwine on July 4, 2013 at 6:07 pm

This its a pretty cool venture! I saw your Houser Hunters episode and followed up. I’m a Jamaican living in trinidad and though there are thousands of bikers here there are no bicycle coffee shops, so if you ever think of expanding there’s a market here!

one of my employees just posted a link to your blog, but what he doesn’t know is that my wife and I are headed to Grenada in February for our honeymoon. I own a bicycle shop in Salem, MA USA. http://www.salemcycle.com She has a family friend who goes to Grenada quite often to build Stone ovens for baking and more. We will be sure to stop by to rent some bikes.
Dan

You KNOW Darryl, that we wish you the very very best of luck with this cool adventure, I hope it gives you everything you guys are looking for. I hope that Pamela and I can be down in the not-to-distant future and sample some of that food and drink.

My question is other than juice, can you suggest modifications in lieu of table sugar for energy and hydration.

Answer:

Both raw/organic honey or agave can work great in the homebrew (substitute in the same quantities for the sugar, or to taste), but you do have to shake well in order to make sure they don’t settle out. Have you tried either of these? Also, make sure to use at least the minimum amount of salt recommended in the homebrew as the temps rise, you need the sodium replacement if you’re sweating.